Breakout moments are fueled by social media. Post on your social media accounts as soon as you can a clear call to action, whether that’s signing a petition (to capture information) or – if you must – an ask for a donation.

If budget permits, turn on search ads for any relevant keywords that you might not have a good organic search presence for.

Create an easy, low-friction call to action, like a petition or one question survey so you can capture surface level interest for a potential supporter who might not be ready to donate, needs to learn more, or may only have 30 seconds before they get distracted.

After the moment passes

Reel in your net.

Our collective attention span and capacity for outrage is intense but short-lived. Once you’ve done everything you can to capture the burst of attention and start relationships with potential supporters, you’ve got to help them climb the engagement ladder.

Follow up with an email or series of emails, educating them about your candidate or organization. Ask for a donation to help support your work while they’re still passionate.

Report back as events warrant. The attention of a big moment brought them to you and they raised their hand to say they cared, now make sure you keep them informed.

If budget permits, launch donation ads retargeting site visitors whose information you got. Call to action ads should go to anyone who didn’t give you their information during a visit.

If your answer to the question, “How can we capitalize on this moment?” is simply, “send a fundraising email.” You’re going to be disappointed and you’re going to miss out on a wave of new support.

Follow these steps before, during, and after your moment in the spotlight to build a long-term relationship with new supporters.